UPDATED
I attempted to dig out our cars but gave up after 45 minutes, once I realized it was coming down faster than I could shovel it. Can’t wait to see what my back and shoulder feel like tomorrow.
Sorry the next one is blurry, but the wind and snow was blowing right into my face.
Here’s a few more I took after the snow stopped. My shadow on this snow mound is actual size.
My car is under here somewhere
Thigh deep
In my continuing half-hearted quest to prove that New Jersey is more than stacks of shipping containers along the turnpike and The Sopranos, I bring you fresh images from the Sourland Mountain Preserve near my apartment. Last time I told you about the glacial deposit at the top, and this time I have pictures.
I took a personal day today to recharge the mental batteries and thought the weather was perfect for a hike. It turns out it was pretty bleeping hot, but a little sweat never hurt anyone.
The Sourland trails are very rocky and can be steep in places. Bring your good ankles.
So it was a good thing I had these brand new trail walkers to break in. Thanks, Sketchers, for making a pair wide enough for my chimp feet. I will sell out for money in a heartbeat, so, Sketchers people, I can easily put your shoes on my characters’ feet for the right price. Call me.
Some scenery on the way up
Things do not seem to have worked out for Jim and Laura. Sad.
The glacial deposit
It’s quite remarkable that glacial ice was able to carve the words “hey babe” into this boulder over 12,000 years ago.
From reading your blogs, I know some of you aren’t crazy about the word “selfie” or the concept. So sorry for this. I was lying on a slanted flat boulder, hence the weird angle. Yeah, my shirt is two-toned from sweat. It’s humid in NJ this time of year. And, yeah, that’s the strap from my man purse. I never go anywhere without it.
Looks like the Sourland ghost from last time has a pal now. “Bye,” says Mr. Yellow Ghost Owl Bat.
For those of you who think New Jersey is all toll booths and rail yards, here are some photos I took today on the Sourland Mountain Preserve near my apartment. This is just one tiny section of the park. We didn’t make it to the ancient glacial deposit at the top of the mountain this time (lunch was calling), but next time I’m up there, I’ll grab some snap shots and post them.
In a zombie apocalypse, we’ll never want for something to eat in NJ. Geese are everywhere. Like, watch-your-step everywhere, if you know what I mean.
At the park’s lowest elevation:
At Sourland, you can explore in the shade:
Or in the sun:
In addition to this dude below, we also saw a huge beetle and a big bee writhing on the ground, locked in mortal combat, but they were too well camouflaged for a decent photo. Last week we shared part of a trail with a snake.
It’s hard to tell from the photo, but this trail is steep. Trust me, it’s a lot easier coming down.
The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is evident throughout the park, especially at the top (to which we hiked last week). It had been a few years since I was up there, and half the trails were rerouted because of all the crisscrossing tree trunks.
The Sourland Ghost?
But in case you forget you are in New Jersey…
There’s the Manhattan skyline. The tall dude in the middle of the circle is the new Freedom Tower at Ground Zero.
In my time on WordPress, I’ve notice that people love a post with garden pictures. That stuff draws clicks like nobody’s business.
I admit to having thought, in the past, that it must be frustrating for a blogger to get ten times the traffic for posting a snapshot of a backyard daffodil than she does for her painstaking and insightful pieces on the art of writing. Since I don’t have daffodils or a backyard to plant them in, I’ve been more of a neutral observer of this phenomenon than anything else.
That changes right now. Yesterday I visited the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx and snapped a bunch of photos. As you can see, I’ve posted a few of the less-bad ones (trust me). It turns out that I don’t mind at all if this post gets ten times the traffic I usually get. Go figure.
Eric the Gray 